Statistics from the charity Lifeblood reveal that one of the Kent NHS trusts - Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust – was among the worst UK trusts in terms of checking patients’ risk of developing blood clots, also called venous thrombo- embolism or VTE!

Going by the figures, Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust checked only 16 percent of patients for VTE --- the figures being much lower than the stipulated 90 percent VTE assessments required nationwide by the new government regulations.

While Lifeblood put Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust at the 158th spot - out of a total of 163 - in a league table of trusts; it was also found that two other Kent NHS Trusts were also failing to hit the national target for VTE screening of patients. These trusts were Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust; and Medway NHS Trust.

Between October and December last year, Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust assessed 36 percent of patients for VTE risk; and Medway NHS Trust risk-assessed only 33 percent patients.

Commenting on the disquieting situation, Professor Beverley Hunt - the medical director at Lifeblood – pointed out that if patients do develop a clot, the lack of risk-assessment can put their lives at risk. As such, Hunt said that charity Lifeblood was deeply concerned “about the quality of education that medical undergraduates and nurses are getting,” and expressed the apprehension that “they’re probably not getting enough basic facts about blood clots”!